Gencor adds Calmaluma succulent extract to stress-relieving botanical ingredient portfolio

20 Jan 2021 --- Gencor Pacific is launching Calmaluma, a stress-relieving extract derived from Caralluma fimbriata, a succulent plant indigenous to India.

C. fimbriata has been clinically researched for its therapeutic potential in easing anxiety and stress in adults.

Gencor Pacific states that Calmaluma consumption is often followed by an “overwhelming feeling of calmness,” being the impetus of its interest in the plant extract. 

“While stress and anxiety have been prevalent in our communities for some time, the need for treatment approaches has been exacerbated by the current pandemic,” says Chase Shryoc, vice president of sales and business development.

Mental health on the rise
According to Innova Market Insights, there is major growth in claims on-pack that relate to specific mood platforms. 

Highlighted in its seventh 2021 top F&B trend “Mood: The Next Occasion,” elevating moods and holistic well-being is gaining importance throughout the pandemic.

Innova Market Insights data: Evolution of “mood health platforms” in F&B launches (Global).Mental health is becoming as important to consumers as physical health. Products with adaptogens for stress relief and nootropics for brain-enhancing are increasingly seen across market categories.

Succulents for mental health?
Calmaluma is available as a 90 percent water-soluble, free-flowing powder. It offers heat, acidic and alkaline stability and can be used in beverages, smoothies, capsules, tablets, tea and chocolates.

The cactus-like plant from which Calmaluma is derived has been used in India for years. “It was consumed to ward off hunger and increase endurance in regions where sustenance wasn’t readily available,” says Shyroc. 

C. fimbriata is also used in Gencor’s Slimaluma weight loss ingredient, clinically proven to support weight and stress levels. 

Clinical backing crucial
Consumers are increasingly looking for scientific evidence for health benefits across the nutrition industry. 

An eight-week, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted at the University of Sunshine Coast, Australia in 2019 to test Calmaluma. The study showed statistically significant results in the active group (49 test subjects) when compared to the placebo (48 subjects) in the following areas:

• Reduction of stress, frustration and anxiety.
• Increase in positive emotions to help with relaxation.
• Supporting healthy cortisol levels for men.
• Promoting a healthy adrenal response in men.

Building the stress relief portfolio
Calmaluma was developed as an expansion of Gencor Pacific’s current mental wellness ingredients. Gencor Pacific also distributes affron by Pharmactive, a saffron stigma extract designed for relaxation, mental and physical balance, and positive mood maintenance. 

Pharmactive’s affron has also shown benefits in sleep quality, reducing depressive symptoms in teenagers and even glaucoma.

“Both [affron and Calmaluma] follow Gencor’s tradition of emphasizing supply chain validation, which is applied from ingredient source to the finished product to ensure purity and potency,” states the company. 

Edited by Anni Schleicher